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Cucumber Tea Sandwiches ~ 3 Spreads & 3 Ways

August 17, 2015

Choose from three flavorfully-delicious spreads and three ways of assembly to build a beautiful array of elegant Cucumber Tea Sandwiches for your next get-together. They will not disappoint! CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER

You know, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are one of those things that can be so absolutely simply-delicious ... or can be a complete flavorless let down. Quite often, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are a touch of cream cheese topped with clunky cucumbers atop a bit of soggy white bread. Which can leave you feeling like they were nothing more than an after-thought filler on the menu.

But when done well, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches can be a flavorfully-delicious highlight of a tea menu or party spread. And with paying just a little extra attention to three simple things, doing Cucumber Tea Sandwiches well is truly quite easy.

So what are the three things to pay just a little extra attention to?

With paying just a little extra attention to three simple things, doing Cucumber Tea Sandwiches well is truly quite easy.

The three elements of Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, of course! ... 1. The spread. 2. The cucumbers. and 3. The bread.

When it comes to the spread, simple additions like fresh dill, lemon zest, or a combination of finely chopped fresh vegetables can make all the difference in elevating the basic cream cheese, and transform it into a fabulously delicious Cucumber Tea Sandwich filling that will not disappoint.

The recipes for my three favorite spreads ... Lemony Dill Spread, Chunky Cucumber Spread, and Vegetable Spread ... are included at the bottom of this post. I'm truly hard-pressed to pick which one I like best! ... but if you twisted my arm, I would probably have to go with the Vegetable Spread.

When it comes to the spread, simple additions like fresh dill, lemon zest, or a combination of finely chopped fresh vegetables can make all the difference.

As for the cucumbers, choose firm cucumbers with few seeds ... either small, young 'regular' cucumbers or English 'seedless' cucumbers. Then slice the cucumbers very thinly with a good sharp knife (I personally love my Henckels knives) or mandolin.

And for the bread? Choose good quality sandwich bread that's got a bit firmer texture and crumb than most regular white breads. I like to use Pepperidge Farms ... it's got a great 'weight' to it that provides a perfect base for fabulous Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.

Once those three elements ... the spread, the cucumbers, and the bread ... are in place, it's just a matter of choosing a 'way' to assemble the sandwiches ~ and you're well on your way to a beautiful array of elegant and tasty Cucumber Tea Sandwiches that are anything but an after-thought.

Let's take a look at three potential ways to assemble the sandwiches:

1. Open-Faced ~ Thinly-sliced cucumbers are decoratively arranged on a single piece of bread, and then garnished with fresh herbs. The bread can be cut in various shapes such as triangles, rectangles, or squares.

2. Basic Closed ~ Thinly-sliced cucumbers and spread are layered between two slices of bread. The sandwiches are then cut into the desired shape, typically small squares or rectangle 'fingers.'

3. Triple-Decker ~ Three pieces of bread sandwich together two layers of spread and cucumbers. Or, in this case, simply two layers of Vegetable Spread. I like to use two slice of white bread with a slice of whole wheat bread in the middle for color contrast, but three slices of the same bread type can certainly be used, too.

All three of these Cucumber Tea Sandwich spreads and 'ways' were made by a friend of mine and me for a tea party we had at church recently. I'm happy to report that all were a huge hit!

No drab spreads. No clunky cucumbers. No soggy white bread.

And no feelings of the sandwiches simply being an after-thought filler item on the tea party menu.

So whip up a flavorfully-delicious spread or two, slice those cucumbers thin, and grab some good-quality bread to get building a beautiful array of elegant Cucumber Tea Sandwiches. They will not disappoint!

Remove Lemony Dill Spread from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches to allow it to soften and become easily spreadable. Thinly slice cucumber with a very sharp knife or mandolin.

To serve open-faced ~ spread a thin layer of Lemony Dill Spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices decoratively on top. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into desired shapes {2 triangles or 3 fingers}. To serve closed ~ Place an additional piece of bread on top of cucumbers. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into fourths. To serve triple-decker ~ Repeat layers, making a sandwich stack that includes a total of 3 slices of bread. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwich stacks into fourths.

Garnish tops with additional fresh dill. Serve immediately. Or, layer in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer and on top of the top layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally, cucumber tea sandwiches should be served immediately or within about 2 to 3 hours of having been assembled.

Remove Chunky Cucumber Spread from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches to allow it to soften and become easily spreadable. Thinly slice cucumber with a very sharp knife or mandolin.

To serve open-faced ~ spread a layer of Chunky Cucumber Spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices decoratively on top. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into desired shapes {2 triangles or 3 fingers}. To serve closed ~ Place an additional piece of bread on top of cucumbers. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into fourths. To serve triple-decker ~ Repeat layers, making a sandwich stack that includes a total of 3 slices of bread. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwich stacks into fourths.

Garnish tops with additional chopped fresh dill. Serve immediately. Or, layer in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer and on top of the top layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally, cucumber tea sandwiches should be served immediately or within about 2 to 3 hours of having been assembled.

Place cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl; stir with a spoon or fork until creamy and free of lumps. Add garlic, salt, parsley, and green onions; stir until well combined. Fold in cucumber, red bell pepper, and carrot.

Prepare Sandwiches: Remove Vegetable Spread from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches to allow it to soften and become easily spreadable.

To serve closed ~ spread a layer of Vegetable Spread on a slice of bread. Place an additional piece of bread on top. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwiches into fourths. To serve triple-decker ~ Repeat layers, making a sandwich stack that includes a total of 3 slices of bread. Trim away bread crusts with a serrated knife; then cut sandwich stacks into fourths.

Garnish tops with a small sprinkling of additional chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately. Or, layer in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer and on top of the top layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally, cucumber tea sandwiches should be served immediately or within about 2 to 3 hours of having been assembled.

These little Tea Sandwiches are just perfect for afternoon tea or a luncheon, I love them! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.Come Back Soon!Miz Helen

This is such a great guide to making awesome cucumber tea sandwiches! I might of missed it, but how much does each recipe yield? I'm planning on making the Chunky Cucumber spread and the Vegetable spread ones for a baby shower and theres going to be around 25 people there. Thinking of making around 10 of each.

You might have said but I couldn't find it. The vegetable spread recipe. How many tea sandwiches does that make? I'm sure I'll need to double it for the event I'm helping with, I just don't want to have to run back and forth to the store.

Love all three of these recipes, Tracey! You are so right about cucumber sandwiches - done properly they are amazing, but it's easy for them to be ordinary if you don't use the right ingredients. All of these look amazing, perfect for afternoon tea! I particularly like the vegetable spread. Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul.

I plan on making the vegetable spread sandwich. Do you need to use slice cucumbers also or only the spread. Just clarifying. Do you know how many sandwiches this recipe will make. I have a baby shower coming up this week - getting ready!

No, you don't need to use sliced cucumbers, too, in the vegetable spread sandwiches ... the vegetable spread contains the cucumbers in it, and is "enough" for the tea sandwiches. Hope the baby shower went great!!

Tracey, they all sound delightful! But I would choose the first because it has no garlic. Or I'd leave the garlic out of the other two. I'm allergic to garlic and know several other people who are too. I love the look of the open-face sandwiches but I always make closed ones that I can stack. Afternoon tea is my favorite meal, and cucumber is my favorite tea sandwich.

I like your recipes but nix the garlic. Traditional tea sandwiches never had it. No need to put it in everything. Some people don't like it in any food. I love it but hubby hates it and he can tell if there is the most minute amount. A sandwich implies filling between two pieces of bread. Open face "sandwiches" as you call them are actually called canape. I like how you construct the sandwiches and canape. However, canape should be made bite size since there is not the extra piece of bread to hold the rest of the filling in. Fillings for tea sandwiches should be rather thin such as yours so the guest is not shamed by dropping filling on themselves and their nice clothes or on the floor. Your recipes are indicative of gracious living. You obviously take pains in preventing your guests from becoming embarrassed by awkward moments. I come from a long line of tea sandwich makers and I hope my words help you along.Best of luck,Lady Hayhead of Hertfordshire

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About Me

Hi! I'm Tracey, & I'm having fun with home cooking, one recipe at a time! A former businesswoman & teacher turned blogger & Mom, I love my latest career best. Join in the fun as I share tried-&-true recipes for the everyday home cook.